Time Management and Workplace

Problem Solving in the Workplace

Problem solving is one of the major issues in the workplace because of problems usually occur in the working environment. Since problems are part and parcel of the daily operations in a workplace, effective problem solving and decision-making is crucial towards establishing a suitable workplace for all workers. The significance of problem-solving in the workplace is evident in the significant attention this issue has obtained among business scholars and professionals. Additionally, effective problem solving in the workplace is vital given that people tend to become uncomfortable, fear or hope the problem would disappear, look for someone to blame or look for answers/solutions to the problem (Hicks, 2000). Hicks (2000) provide different steps that can be utilized in resolving problems experienced in the workplace.

One of the major problems or issues that I have faced in my workplace is time management. I experienced this problem during the initial stages of my current employment i.e. at a time when I was settling in and adjusting to the new responsibilities in this workplace. Time management was a major workplace problem for me because my responsibilities in this workplace required reporting to work very early than in my previous job. I struggled with this issue because I was not used to reporting to work early and needed to make several adjustments to my schedule in order to manage my time and responsibilities properly. During this period, most of the efforts I undertook to manage my time properly were seemingly unsuccessful and did not help in resolving the issue. It appeared like most of the efforts I made during this period worsened rather than resolved the problem of time management.

The first step I took towards solving this problem was to acknowledge that I was struggling with time management and needed to address in order to promote my effectiveness in the workplace. Actually, my supervisor had warned me of poor time management after he noticed that I was struggling with keeping time. Secondly, I asked for advice from my supervisor on what I could do to address this problem effectively. Through his advice, I learnt important things about time management and what I could do to resolve this problem. Based on my supervisor's advice, I started to create a "to do" list on a daily basis, which included by goals and respective job duties/activities for the day. The list helped me in breaking down my tasks, being more organized, and making my workload manageable on a daily basis. While it was initially difficult to create and implement the "to do" list, it eventually became an enjoyable thing that helped me to prioritize my work and become more productive and efficient.